Combined vending machine and game



Nov. 22, 1927. 1,650,026

F. L. MILLS COMBINED VENDING MACHINE AND GAME lf'i 1 e.- uz. 30. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet. 1

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NOV.22,1927@ I 1,650,026

F. L. MILLS COMBINED VENDING MACHINE AND GAME Filed Auz. 50. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 #0 ihini W f Nov. 22, 1927. 1,650,026

F. L. MILLS COMBINED VENDING MACHINE AND GAME Filed Aug. 30. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 a If? 3 J3; Egg. 4 J

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Fred J JZiZ/ni companying drawings, Fig. 1 is a view in mama oe-22, 1927.

' UNITED STATES 1,650,026 PATENT OFFICE.

FRED L. MILLS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO MILLS NOVELTY COMPANY, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

. COMBINED VENDING IACHINE AND GAME.

Application filed August 30, 1926. Serial No. 132,506.

This invention relates to improvements in a combined vending machine and game and more especially to such a vending machine adapted for supplying small articles such as, for example, candyand the like.

One of the features of my invention is the proyision of a machine of this kind adapted to vend a single article for each coin, check,

or slug inserted, and in connection therewith,

through the game apparatus, give the operator an opportunity, by the exercise of skill, to 'obtain an additional article.

In connection with the vending apparatus, means are also provided for agitating the i articles in the hopper at each operation of the machine, thus insurmg at all times a proper supply to the delivery chute.

Means are also provided for delaying the action of the game apparatus in order to give the operator an opportunity to prepare himself for the display of skill necessary to obtain an extra article.

The above mentioned features, and others embodied in my invention, will appear morefully and be explained more in detail hereinafter. I

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown herein a machlne adapted to be operated by coins and supplied with balls of candy to be ,vended. It is obvious,

however, that without departing from the spirit of myinvention, other articles could be vended, and the machine could be opw erated by slugs, checks, tokens and the like instead of coins.

In that form of device shown in the acfront elevation of a combined vending ma.- chine and game, Fig. 2' is a similar view in rear elevation, Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken as indicated by the line 3 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4; is a vertical sectional view taken as indicated by theline 1 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a view taken asindicated by the line. f Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawings, the device is housed in a suitable case 10 made of wood or other suitable material, and preferably provided with a glass panel front 11. The lower part of the case 10 is preferably widened as indicated by 10, and the upper surface in front is preferably provided with a glass panel or window 12 1n. order togive a view into the hopper-' containing the articles to be vended.

livers one of the articles being vended, for

example, a candy ball. When the coin pusher is raised, a steel ball is released at the top of the deviceibehind the glass panel 11. This ball tumbles downwardly in an uncertain path between stationary pins. Arranged below these pins is a transversely movable cup operable by a knob on the outside of the device. Through the exercise of skill, it is possible for the operator to move this cup to catch the steel ball. In the event the operator succeeds in catching the steel ball in the cup, the cup is then moved to the end of its stroke whereupon upon being moved back, through suitable apparatus, an extra candy ball is delivered. In order to increase the picturesque effect, the steel ball is delivered at the top from behind a small figure representing a baseball batter, and the cup is mounted on the rear side of a small figure representing a baseball player about to catch a ball.

I will first describe the vending apparatus.

13 indicates the coin slot, and 13 the open- 55 ing at the upper end where the coin is 1nserted. 14: indicates a. vertically slidable coin pusher carrying a backwardly projecting pin 15 having pivotally mounted thereon the swinging latch 16 provided with an arm 16 projecting through a slot 17 in the lower end of the coin slot. The upper edge of the end of the arm 16 is slanted or beveled as indicated by 16?, so that a coin falling downward in the coin slot engaging this bevel will swing the latch 16 out of the way and allow the coin to pass to its position below the arm 16.

18 indicates a bell-crank lever for operating the mechanism pivoted at 19 and having one end 18 also projecting through the slot 17 under its lower end. 20 indicates a coin in the position it occupies after having been dropped in the slot and before the coin pusher is depressed. It will be seen that 5 the coin has passed the arm 16 on the latch 16 and is restingon top of the arm 18 of the bell-crank 18. When in this position, it serves as a connector between the coin pusher and the arm 18-so that when the is rotated, one of tom of the tube.

.feeder 31 a direct the tray 35.

bell-crank 23 pivoted at 24. The arm 23' of the bell-crank 23 is provided with a pin 25 projecting through a slot 26 in the vertically slidable rod 27 which has /its lower end pivoted to the arm 28 of the bell-crank 28 pivoted at 29. The other arm 28 of the bell-crank 28 is provided with a slot emracing the pin 30 in the article feeder 31.

shown in Fig. 5, the article feeder is pivoted at 32 and cut away at 33 in order to form an opening to embrace one-of the candy balls 34. Each time the article feeder the candy balls is permitted to roll out into the tray 35. It will be seen that with a coin in place as a connector between the arms 16 and 18, downward movement of the coin pusher will rock the bell-crank 18 to v 22 to rock the bell-crank 23 to lift the rod 27 to move the bell-crank 28, which will in turn swing the article feeder 31.

I willnow describe more in detail the agitator. The candy balls, as indicated by 34", are containedin a hopper 35', the bottom of which preferably is tapered'toward the round outlet tube 36. Vertically slid able on the tube 36 is a collar 37 containing radially arranged wings 38 adapted to move up into the hopper through slots in the bottom thereof when the collar 37 is moved u the'candy balls in the hopper causing one or more of them to roll toward the lowest part thereof and into the tube 36. The bot- 36 leads into the slanting magazine 39 which carries at its lower'end the feeder 31 above described. From the delivery chute 40 is provided to delivered candy balls into the Each time that the machine is operated, the agitator is moved by means of the link 41 connected to the arm 18 at its upper end and at its lower end to the H1 42, which in turn is connected to the collar 37,. The agitation of the candy balls in the hopper will insure at all times a proper supply to the magazine 39, thus keepin thismagazine filled and insuring at all times a supply to the feeder 31.

will now describe more in detail the game mechanism At one side of the machin is a vertical tube fil ed with a row pull the connecting bar.

spring 62.

g is raised, the pin 15 or, if desired, they may be made of other suitable substances, and may be of different colors and weights. Also, if desired, these balls may vary in size to a certain extent. Variations in the size or weight of these balls will cause more uncertainty and irregularity in the downward falling of the ball through the pins 75, to be described more in detail hereinafter. Also, variations in the color of the balls may be made use of as desired in connection with the operation of the device. ball of a certain color can, by previous agreement with the owner of the machine, entitle the operator to an additional reward or compensation. F or the purpose of illustration, I have assumed herein that the balls are made of steel and consequently have so referred to them hereinafter. arm 23 of the bell-crank 23 is provided with For example, the catching of a The .extreme -end of the finger 52 projecting into the ball tube 50 below the last ball. Upward movement of the finger 52 is adapted to raise the column of balls and enough balls are provided so that when the column is thus raised, the ball at the top will leave the tube and enter the slanting runway 53. 54 indicates a latch pivoted at 55 adapted to permit a ball lifted upwardly bythe finger 52 to pass, but preventing it from dropping back. The spring 54; urges this latch to its normal position. At.the upper end of the ball tube, another latch 56 pivoted at 57 and operated by a spiral spring 58, as shown, serves to start a ball into the runway 53 when pressed out .of'the top of the tube.

59 indicates a vertically movable wire having its lower end .connected to the arm 23%, as shown, and its upper end adapted to prop ject up into the runway 53 when the arm 23 vwardly. Such upward movement of the col- "lar 37 and the wings 38 serves to agitate is raised. when the arm\-23 is-raised to lift thefinger 52, upwardly a ball is expelled from the top of the tube 50 and enters the runway 53, but is prevented from passing the upper end of the wire 59 as long as this wire remains raised. This Wire'iskept raised unti' the coin pusher is raised in the following manner. 60 indicates'a latch pivoted at 61, the lower end of which is yieldingly pulled to the right (as viewed in Fig. 2) by the spiral Upon downward movement of the coin pusher with the coin in place above the arm 18*, the extreme end of the arm 18 is' engaged by the lower end 60 of the latch 60, and thus held in this position until the coin pusher is raised. When the coin pusher thereon engages the upper end 60 of the latch 60, which is suitably slanted as shown, thus rocking the latch 60 to disengage the end 60 from the arm 18 whereupon the spiral spring 63 returns the bell-crank to its original position. This By means of this construction,

movement again lowers the wire 59 thus -permit-ting the ball to pass downwardly along the runway 33 and escape through the opentrough 71, it will roll toward one end or the other, depending upon chance, and thence fall into one of the slanting guides 74 from which it 'will drop onto the pins 75 mounted in the front side of the board 76. The fall of the steel ball will be obstructed more or less by the pins 75 causing it to travel downwaiirlily between said pins in an uncertain pat Arranged below the pins 75 is a horizontally slidable cup 77 mounted on the slide wire 78 and operable from the front of the machine by the knob 79 through the lever 80 and link 81 which in turn is connected to the lever 82 having its upper end connected to the pin 83 onthe back of the cup. The lever 82 is pivoted'at 84 and is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 2 by means of the spiral spring .85.

In the. event the steel ball falling downwardly through the pins 75 is not caught in the cup 77, the same falls onto the track 90, which is slanting and it rolls downwardly on this track and again enters the ball tube at the bottom below the latch 54 and on top of the finger 52.

The track is in front of the board 76 and consists of two slanting rods (see Figs. 1 and 4). Opposite the lower end of this track there is a door or opening through the board 76 permitting the ball to leave the lower end of the track, pass through the door or opening in the board 76, and emerge intothe ball tube 50 below the latch 54 and on to of the finger 52 Through skillful manipulation by means of the knob 79, however, it is possible to move the cup 77 so that it will catch the steel ball 51 and if this is accomplished, the cup is moved over to the left (as viewed in Fig. 2) whereupon the ball rolls out of the cup through the opening 91 and into the trough 92. The cup 77 on its rear side carries a depending arm 93 projecting into the trough 92 through a slot on the upper side. After the steel ball has fallen from the up into the trough 92, the arm 93 will be on theleft side thereof (as viewed in Fig.2) so that movement of the cup again to the right (as viewed in Fig. 2) will force the ball alon the trough 92. This movement causes a elivering of another article in the following manner. Projecting upwardly into the trough 92 is-the cam-shaped upper edge of the lever 94 pivoted at 95 and provi'ded with an arm 96 having its end interlocked with the upper end of the rod 27. Movement of the ball 51 to the right as pressed by the arm 93 will cause the same to enter the'bevel or cam-shaped upper edge of the lever 94, thus rocking the same and lifting the bar 27 to feed another article as above described. The spiral spring 97 operates to return the feeder to its original position when released.

The left end of the lever 94 is provided with-{a series of teeth 100 adapted to be engaged" by the pivoted pawl 101 controlled by the spring 102 so that, movement of the lever 94 being f'commenced in one direction, the

same 'must be moved the full length of its stroke before being permitted to return.

In the event the ball is caught by the cup and operated to deliver another article, upon passing the lever 94, the ball upon reaching the right hand end (as viewed in Fig. 2) of the trough 92 rolls backwardly through the hole .whence it drops onto the track 90 and rolls back into the bottom of the ball tube 50. The front side of the ball tube is provided with a slot in order to give a view of the balls therein. w

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of'my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as possible in view of the prior art.

WVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the character described; coin controlled apparatus for delivering an article, operation of said apparatus also releasing a ball permitting it to fall; a manually operable cup member for catching said ball; and means whereby, upon said cup member catching a ball, said delivering apparatus may be operated to deliver an additional article.

2. In a device of the character described; coin controlled apparatus for delivering an article, operation of said apparatus also releasing a ball permitting it to fall; a manlib ually operable cup member for catching said ball; and means whereby said cup member, upon catching a ball, may be operated to cause the delivering apparatus to. deliver an additional article.

3. In a device of the character described; article delivering mechanism; ball releasing mechanism; a coin pusher; and means for interposing a coin as a connector between the coin pusher and the article delivering mechanism and ball releasing mechanism, whereby movement of the coin pusher with a com in place as a connector will operate both the article delivering mechanism and the ball releasing mechanism.

4:. In a device of the character described;

article delivering mechanism; ball releasin mechanism; a coin pusher; a coin slot; an means whereby, after insertion of a coin in the coin slot, forward movement of the coin pusher will operate the article delivering mechanism and return movement thereof will operate the ball releasing mechanism.

5. In a device of the character described; article delivering mechanism; ball releasing mechanism; a 00111 pusher; an arm connected to the article deliverin mechanism and the ball releasing mechanlsm, said arm lying adjacent the coin pusher; means for interposing a coin as a connector between the coin pusher and said arm; and means whereby forward movement of the coin usher, with a coin in place as a connector, wi l o erate the article delivering mechanism an return movement thereof will operate the ball releasing mechanism. 7

6. In a device of the character described; article delivering mechanism; ball releasin mechanism; a coin pusher; an arm connected to the article delivering mechanism and the ball releasing mechanism, said arm lying adjacent the coin pusher; means for interposing a coin as a connector between the coin pusher and said arm; and means whereby movement of said coin pusher with a coin in place as a connector will operate the article delivering mechanism and return movement only of said coin usher will complete the operation of said ball releasing mechanism.

7. In a device of the character described; article delivering mechanism; ball releasing mechanism; a coin pusher; an arm connected to the article delivering mechanism and the ball releasing mechan'sm, said arm lying adjacent said coin pusher; means for interposing a coin as a connector between said coin pusher and said arm, whereby, upon forward movement of said coin pusher, with a coin in place as a connector, said "arm will be moved forwardly; means urgingsaid arm backwardly toward its normal P0816011; and a latch ying adjacent said arm and adapted'to, engage the same and hold said arm in its forward position, said latch adapted to be tripped by return movement of said coin pusher to release said arm to permit the same to return to its normal position.

8. In a device of the character described; article delivering mechanism;-ball releasin mechanism; a coin pusher; an arm connected to the article delivering mechanism and the ball releasing mechanism, said arm lying adjacent said coin pusher; means for interpos'ing a coin as a connector between said coin pusher and said arm, whereby, upon forward movement of said coin pusher, with I assume a coin in place as a connector, said arm will be moved forwardly; means urging said arm backwardly toward its normal position; and a latch lying adjacent said arm and adapted to engage the same and hold said arm in its forward position, said latch adapted to be tripped by return movement of said coin pusher to release said arm anism at the end of said magazine; a coin pusher; means for interposing a coin as a connector between said coin pusher and a part of the article delivering mechanism; an agitator in said hopper; and means for operating said agitator'by movement of said coin pusher.

10. In a device of the character described; a hopper containing articles to be delivered, and provided with an outlet at the bottom thereof; a magazine extending from the outlet of said hopper; article delivering mechanism at the end of said magazine; a coin pusher; means for interposing a coin as a connector between said coin pusher and a part of the article delivering mechanism; an a itator in said hopper; and a connection etween said agitator and a part of v the article delivering mechanism.

11. In a device of the character described; coin controlled apparatus for delivering an article; and ball releasing mechanism adapted to be operated by said article delivering apparatus, said ball releasing mechanism comprising a substantially vertically arranged magazine tube containing a column of balls with means for raising the column of balls therein upon each operation of the article delivering apparatus, to cause a ball to be released from the upper end of said magazine tube. i

12. In a device of the character described;

coin controlled apparatus for delivering an' article; and ball releasing mechanism adapted to be operated by said article delivering apparatus, said ball releasing mechanism comprising a substantially vertically arhaving an open slot.

ranged magazine tube, therein, said tube containing a column of balls with means for raising the column of balls therein upon each operation of the article delivering apparatus, to cause a ball to 'be released from the upper end of said magazine tube.

13. In a device of the character described; 601D, controlled article delivering and ball releasing mechanism, said ball releasing mechanism comprising a substantially vertically arranged magazine tube containing a column of balls with means for raising the column of balls therein to cause a ball to be released from the upper end of said magazine tube.

14. In mechanism of the character set forth: a hopper provided with an outlet; a magazine extending from said outlet; an ejector controlling discharge of articles from said magazine; an agitator associated with the outlet of said hopper; coin-controlled mechanism for actuating said ejector and said agitator; a ball-circuit provided with a space through which balls may fall, said space being provided with deflectors; means for eflecting circulation of balls through said circuit; a manually operated catcher be-' low said deflectors; e ector actuating means adapted to be actuated through the medium of a ball caught by said catcher; and means associated with said coin-controlled mechanism for actuating the caught ball and thereby causing it to actuate said last-named means. 1

15. In mechanism of the character set forth: a hopper provided with an outlet; a magazine extending from said outlet; an ejector controlling discharge of articles from said magazine; a ball-circuit; a ballcatcher; a ball-actuated member adapted to actuate said ejector to deliver an extra article; and a coin-controlled mechanism adapted to actuate said ejector at each operation of the machine and equipped with means for actuating the caught ball to thereby .op-

erate said ejector to cause delivery of an extra article.

16. In a machine of the character set forth: vendin means provided with an ejector; a bal -circuit provided with balldefiecting means non-uniform balls in said circuit adapted to be variably deflected by said deflectors; ball-circulating device; coincontrolled mechanism throu h the medium of which said ejector and said ball-circulat ing device may pendently actuated ball-catcher associated with said circuits below said deflectors.

17. In mechanism of the character set forth, the combination with article-vending mechanism, ofv ball-circulating mechanism rovided with a ball-circuit, balls of varylng sizes in said circuit; and means operative in the actuation of said vending mechanism to efiect circulation of said balls.

18. In a machine of the character set forth: article-vending mechanism; a ballcircuit provided with a space through which balls may fall, said s ace being equipped with deflector pins an said ball-circuit including a chute through which the balls are elevated and which is provided at its front side' with a slot; balls of different colors in said circuit and adapted to be viewed through enabling the balls to be viewed through said slot; a ball-circulating device operated in the actuation of said vending mechanism; and an independentl actuated ball-catcher associated with sai ball-circuit and disposed below said deflector-Eins.

. FR D L. MILLS.

be actuated; and an inde-.

said slot; a transparent cover-plate 

